Horse Carriages in Central Park – New York Times Debate

The fate of horse carriages in Central Park in New York City is still up in the air. This past weekend, the New York Times published an excellent article in the format of a debate by various equine and other professionals. Below are excerpts from a couple of the debaters. To read in full…and there are quite a few voices… be sure to click on the “Read More on the Debate” link at the bottom of this post. ~ HfH

Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged that one of his first acts would be to ban horse carriages, which he, and some of the more enthusiastic campaign spenders last year, have called inhumane.

Are horse carriages abusive to animals? Should they be banned?

The Debate:

Carriage Horses I Inspected Were Healthy and Content By Harry W. Werner, a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, owns Werner Equine in North Granby, Conn.

In February 2010, I visited four carriage horse stables in New York City at the invitation of a member of the Carriage Operators of North America. I was accompanied by an experienced equine surgeon, as well as a veterinarian who is an horsewoman with a special interest in animal behavior….

Conditions Are Abusive on Streets and in Stalls By Holly Cheever, a veterinarian, is the vice president of the New York State Humane Association.

As a veterinary consultant since 1988 to the A.S.P.C.A. the New York State Humane Association and other groups, I’ve examined New York City carriage horses, and reviewed the work of others, and I have found that the city’s population, infrastructure, climate and vehicular traffic volume create inhumane conditions for these animals.

Horses working in traffic lanes shared with motorized vehicles are constantly nose-to-tailpipe, developing respiratory impairment as detailed in an unpublished study conducted by Dr. Jeffie Roszel. She analyzed New York carriage horses’ respiratory health in 1985 and found that noxious vehicular emissions damaged the horses’ lung tissue….

Have fun while helping the spread the news about Habitat for Horses with our Facebook St Patrick’s Day Horse Photo Contest. Go to https://www.facebook.com/Habitat.for.Horses.organd click on the St Patty’s Day Photo Contest Link to find out more.